âIf I were you, Iâd steer clear of Balfour. Mara, that lunatic, could kill her own flesh and blood without batting an eye. What do you think sheâd do to you? Donât be fooled by her playing the role of the doting sister now. Sheâs got plans, and theyâre not the kind you want to be a part of,â Clara said with a sneer.
Ivy cleared her throat, her voice laced with a hint of skepticism. âIs this about her? Are you in cahoots with Mara, plotting against me? How else could you come up with such a detailed scheme all by yourself?â
Claraâs laugh was theatrical, her hand dramatically covering her mouth. âOh dear, looks like youâve caught on. But what are you going to do about it, hum? Yes, Iâve teamed up with that vile woman.
Weâre strangers, but we share a common enemy â you!
Youâve stolen my life and her man, Thereâs no one in this world more despicable than you, Ivy. We both want you to pay dearly. Iâll make sure you learn what it means to cross me.â
âHave you lost your mind, too?â Ivy chided, her tone almost pleading. âIf Maraâs so willing to work with you, why isnât she here herself? Why send you? Donât you see sheâs just using you to get rid of me?â
Ivy tried to reason with her, to awaken some sense of clarity, not to trust Mara, the malicious woman capable of fratricide.
Clara seemed to have a short circuit in her brain to even consider partnering with such a person.
âDonât flatter yourself thinking youâre the only smart one around,â Clara snapped back. âSo what if she killed her sister? Besides, youâre clueless, Ivy. I donât care about making a comeback or acting again. I just want to destroy you, to make you feel the agony Iâve endured!
I want you to beg for mercy, to crave death and not find it. Hahaha, Iâll relish watching you lose everything!â
The mocking tone in Claraâs voice was abruptly cut by the ping of a new message. The humor drained from her face as her eyes widened at the text on the screen.
âHaha! Ivy, oh Ivy, look how the tables have turned. I told you that man only loved your pretty face. And you kept insisting he loved you for you. What a joke. Take a good look at the message he just sent!â
She yanked Ivyâs hair, forcing her to face the phone screen.
[Love, huh? Now that her beautyâs marred, she has no use for me.]
Through that cold-hearted message, Ivy could almost hear Balfourâs indifferent tone. Despite believing this to be some cruel ploy, her heart couldnât help but ache.
âHow does it feel? I warned you not to get too cocky. Now, whoâs been slapped in the face? Donât be too heartbroken, Ivy. This is what you deserve.
Who knows if Balfour will still cough up the cash now that Iâm using you as leverage? Alás, at least you two were together once, so I hope Mr. Howard is still willing to pay for you. Otherwise, this is a bad deal for me.â
Claraâs voice was smug, but Ivy remained silent as if Balfourâs betrayal had pierced her soul.
After a moment, Ivy lifted her head, defiance in her eyes. âI donât believe it. That canât be Balfour.
Someone else must have typed it.â